Semiconductor packages provide protection to integrated circuit chips enclosed within the package from environmental conditions such as thermal variations and vibrations. Semiconductor packages include a supporting carrier, one or more chips electrically coupled to the carrier, encapsulating material molded over the carrier and the chip(s), and leads configured to electrically connect the chip to the “outside” world.
Creepage distance is the distance between adjacent leads. For high voltage applications, it is desirable that the creepage distance be large enough to accommodate a sufficiently high voltage without arcing or electrical failure between the adjacent leads. The creepage distance can be increased by increasing the size of the package, which increases the length of the side peripheral edges of the package, and thus the spacing between adjacent leads extending from the side peripheral edges. However, it is generally undesirable to increase the package size since most customers/users demand ever smaller packages.
For these and other reasons there is a need for the present invention.